Viking Engine Safety Alert

From the Viking Aircraft Engines web portal, dated April 7, 2014:

Viking Safety alert
Take a look at your belt idler pulley.

• Remove the pulley after loosening the belt
• Be sure the bearing is Loc-Tited to the aluminum pulley 
• Do this by removing the snap ring to see if the bearing will move in /out
• If the bearing is solid AND you see traces of locktite around the edge, inspect every 100 hrs
• If loose, clean with acetone
• Apply green cylindrical retaining locktite to bore 
• Install bearing
• Wipe excess LocTite'
• install bearing
• Re install pulley as before
• Snug alternator belt and tighten alternator
  
  
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  After removing the idler pulley, I proceeded to examine the bearing/pulley assembly and found that no amount of hand pressure would move the bearing from the bore.  I called Jan and he advised to gently heat the bearing to less than 300 degrees and lightly tap on the bearing.  If it remained in the bore then the assembly is good to go.  If it came out, then application of the Loctite 680 would be in order.  The picture below shows the tools required for the procedure.
  
  
  
  
  After heating to "slightly too warm to leave your hand on", I gently tapped on the bearing with a plastic mallet and 25/32 socket and witnessed some movement.  A couple more taps and the bearing was in my hand.  I noticed that there seemed to be some residue from something that had been in the bore with the bearing.  It did not fully cover the circumference of the bearing, so I have to assume that if the residue is cured Loctite, that it did not fully work its way around the bearing.  Don't know if that is significant or not as the capillary action could probably yield any variety of flow patterns.  The shots below illustrates the residue on the bearing's outer surface.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Loctite 680 is on order and will be here by the weekend, so the re-installation will occur then.  More posted at that time.
  
  
  A few days later...
   
  LocTite 680 arrived and I began the process of reassembly of the idler pulley.
  
  
  
  
  A blurry shot of the cleaned bearing with a ring of 680 coated around the perimeter.
  
  
  
  
  Careful placement of the bearing in the bore, a couple of good wacks with the plastic mallet and the bearing was seated.  The c-ring pliers did the trick of securing the bearing into place.
  
  
  
  
  After the idler pulley was bolted back into place, the serpentine belt had to be tightened.  You cannot see it in any of my pictures, but before loosening anything, I marked a line with a Sharpie of the intersection of the alternator and engine brackets so I could return the system to its previous factory setting.  The shot below shows a custom tool I fabricated from an old garden implement, with a 5/16" steel shaft, which was the precise size required to leverage force on the alternator and engine brackets.  There is not much clearance, but it was enough.
  
  
  
  
  
  The final picture is just another side view showing the business end of the garden tool lever in position to tighten the alternator down.  I should also mention that there is a second bolt at the top of the alternator which acts as the pivot.
  
  
  
  
  
  I should be good to go now - Viking safety alert has been completed!